The Making of Miraculous
by 1-800fangirl
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is an aspiring fashion designer, so of course she seized the opportunity to make costumes for the film her best friend was directing. Simple enough, right? So what if Adrien Agreste is cast in a lead role and seems to have taken an interest in her? No big deal! Although, that Chloe Bourgeois is really starting to work her nerves... Miraculous Movie!AU
1. Casting Call

**Hello, and welcome to a brand new story by yours truly (a story that I should _not_ be working on because I have too many other unfinished fics). I recently fell hard and fast into the Miraculous fandom, and I couldn't help but write something for it. ******MAJOR shoutout to my friend Erin for helping edit this; it'd be a pile of trash without her.****

 **I've planned out this story over the course of 30 chapters, but be forewarned that the first 6 chapters will be uploaded randomly and likely with large amounts of time in between. After that, the updating schedule will probably be a new chapter every week (aka I'll actually** ** _have_** **an updating schedule instead of sporadic posting).**

 **But enough chattering from me; without further ado, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Miraculous Ladybug (if I did, the reveal would have happened long ago).

 **Note:** Everyone is aged up in this story to around 25 or so.

xXxXxXx

"Girl, I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life."

Marinette bit back a small laugh at her friend's remark, instead offering her a comforting smile. "Alya, you have no reason to be nervous. You've been working way too hard for this to let a little anxiety ruin your day!"

Alya shook her head, distress written all over her face. "What if everything goes wrong? And no one shows up? Or what if we sent out the wrong times, and everyone shows up at once? Or what if we sent out the casting call to the wrong people, and -"

Marinette covered her friend's mouth. "Okay, I'm gonna stop you there before you spiral out of control. Listen to me." She dragged her friend over to the wall and sat her down in one of the chairs leaning against it. "Today is going to go _great_. Remember how both Nino and I helped you send out the correct casting call invitations? That means only the people we need will show up. And based on the people invited, you're going to end up with a stellar cast for this movie no matter what."

Alya let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Right." She stood and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "You are a lifesaver, Marinette. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Marinette giggled as she returned the hug. "I'm pretty sure that's _my_ line."

"Yeah, you do say that on a daily basis, don't you?" Alya said with a smirk as she released the girl. "Okay. Time to get things going."

Marinette turned around to see the crew running in a hundred different directions, shouting information to each other as they tried to avoid knocking over equipment. "I think you mean 'get things going in an organized manner.'"

Alya shrugged. "You're probably right." She walked over to the director's chair, where a megaphone was resting on the seat.

Marinette followed her, unable to keep a slight skip out of her step. She was beyond excited! Alya had been working towards directing a professional film ever since she was little, and fresh out of graduate school she'd been given that chance. A one in a _million_ chance.

Two screenwriters - Tikki and Plagg, if memory served - thought their script would be perfect if put together and performed by the ages of the characters in it instead of some stuffy old men and women. Alya had eagerly seized the opportunity and called up everyone she could think of to be a part of her crew.

Marinette had been the first one contacted - no surprise there, of course. She accepted the role of costume designer in a heartbeat; the idea of her designs being shown on the silver screen was a dream come true.

Alya had called up others, too, some of which her friend had known for years and others of which she'd met in graduate school, all of whom had the same drive towards producing a film as she did.

Like her boyfriend, Nino. Marinette had been introduced to him at Alya's graduation. It was unexpected and she'd been slightly miffed that Alya had waited so long for them to meet, but once she'd seen how Nino looked at her friend - well, she couldn't stay angry.

Although she _had_ taken Nino aside and given him fair warning about what would happen if he broke Alya's heart.

Marinette was yanked out of her thoughts by Alya turning on the megaphone with a loud crackle of static.

"Hey!" Alya shouted, causing nearly everyone in the room to wince. She adjusted the volume from what Marinette considered 'ear-splitting' to simply 'ear-ringing.' "Everyone come here. We all need to gather ourselves before people start arriving."

Marinette gave her friend a thumbs up as people started drifting towards them.

As soon as everyone was there, Alya put down the megaphone and cleared her throat. "Before I cut to the chase, I want you all to know that I'm excited to make this movie and that I'm proud to have the most amazing crew in history."

The group cheered, clapping their hands in support. Marinette was also pretty sure she heard someone say 'Damn straight we are,' but she couldn't put a finger on who.

"Now, we have fifteen minutes _technically_ speaking before auditions begin," Alya reminded them, crossing her arms. Immediately silence fell. "I need a report from everyone, understand? Nino."

Her boyfriend adjusted his glasses. "Audition forms have been made and copied. I also locked up some of the more expensive equipment in case any auditionees are clumsy or careless, because we can't afford for anything to break." He absentmindedly cracked his knuckles. "I also calculated how our budget can best be divided up between sectors, assuming the Bourgeois family is true to how much they will be funding us, as well as the estimates provided from the brands we're including in the film." He paused a moment before adding, "And I stocked a few coolers with water bottles for the auditionees today."

Marinette sometimes envied how lucky Alya was to have a boyfriend like Nino - a really nice guy, _and_ he was the best producer of all time. Couldn't get much better than that.

"Perfect. Thank you." Alya smiled at him before moving on. "Nathaniel?"

The redheaded art director - and co-production designer to Alya herself - shifted nervously where he stood. Marinette doubted he'd made a mistake; she'd known him for years and he was quite the perfectionist. He was just… Well, shy. "I completed the storyboards, as you said. And I left a copy in your trailer. I've also collected the last paints I need for one of the sets and I have almost all the props prepared based on what was in the script."

Alya gave him a thumbs up. "You're the man, Nathaniel." She turned to Marinette. "How are we doing on costumes, girl?"

"I've gotten all the fabric I need for the costumes I'm making by hand," Marinette replied, "and basically every sketch is finished. There are still a few people I need to call back about how they want us to advertise their brand in the movie, but I _have_ already planned the outfits I'm going to put together with their clothing."

"And that's why I love you." Alya clapped her hands together. "Okay - Max?"

Max was the cinematographer. Marinette and everyone else in the crew was fully aware that he knew more about cameras and filming than he knew about himself - and probably loved cameras more than he loved himself, too.

"All the equipment is ready to go when needed," Max said confidently, folding his arms behind his back. "I've kept it all in pristine condition. I also created the diagrams of what lighting I'm going to need for particular scenes, and left copies of them in the trailers for those who requested such."

Marinette knew that included her. Lighting could heavily impact the way the colors of clothing appeared on camera, so she'd probably have to adjust a few things accordingly.

"Fantastic," Alya said, beaming. "Juleka? Everything ready?"

Juleka jumped, clearly startled.

"Whoa, girl," Alya laughed. "Didn't mean to scare you. You good?"

Juleka nodded, her bangs falling in her face. "Yes. Sorry. I'm just nervous for Rose."

"You're nervous _for_ Rose?" Max repeated in bewilderment. "What does that mean?"

"Rose is auditioning today," Juleka explained. "And I want her to do well, so I'm nervous."

"Right," Max trailed off, clearly not getting it.

Rose was Juleka's girlfriend of four years, and anyone who saw them together could tell they were meant to be. Marinette adored them both. Where Rose was outgoing, Juleka was shy, and where Rose could be a bit airheaded, Juleka was thoughtful and calm.

"I think it's sweet," Marinette said, offering Juleka a warm smile.

"While I agree," Alya interrupted, "business has to be attended to first. So, is everything ready, Juleka?"

"Of course," Juleka said, pushing her purple bangs somewhat out of her face, though her eyes were cast towards the ground. "Makeup is completely taken care of - I have every skin tone I can think of as well as brighter colors for accentuations. Music is a work in progress, but I have one reliable contract complete and I'm finalizing another with Jagged Stone."

"Juleka, you're officially the best music supervisor and makeup artist in history, as well as my favorite person here," Alya said, earning mock gasps from Nino and Marinette.

"Ultimate betrayal, babe." Nino shook his head in disbelief. "I thought we had something."

"Thrown aside after over a decade of friendship," Marinette added, wiping away fake tears. "Who knew it would end like this?"

"Ha ha, so funny." Alya rolled her eyes, although she was unable to hide her smile. "Moving on. Alix, Kim - is everything in place?"

"I set up the audition forms on a table at the door and left a crap ton of pencils for people to use," Alix said. "I also double checked the locks on equipment, back rooms, all that jazz."

"Well I _triple_ checked the locks," Kim countered, staring Alix down. "Plus I made copies of the sides you wanted for auditions and made a list of prospective auditionees."

Marinette almost laughed at the competitiveness between the two stagehands. Fortunately, their friendly rivalry helped them be two of the most efficient workers there.

Although, as she watched the two glare at each other, she did have to wonder if 'friendly' rivalry was an accurate term.

"That means everything for today is ready," Alya said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Now take a deep breath and relax." Marinette gave her friend's shoulder a small squeeze. "You have five-ish minutes before people start showing up, and being a panicked mess will do you no favors."

Alya nodded. "Right."

"You heard Marinette," Nino said. "People are about to start arriving. Kim, man the door. Don't let anyone in unless they're on your copy of the list. Alix, you're in charge of those audition forms. Make sure no one tries to keep any of our pencils. Max, escort people into the studio when it's their time to audition. Juleka, I need you to manage the water bottles and provide them to people as they wait for their turn."

Marinette understood immediately why Nino put Juleka in charge of the water bottles - the constant running around would keep her distracted from worrying about Rose. Tactful of him.

"And the rest of us," Nino continued, "will read for characters if Alya requests it. Everyone got that?"

"Yes sir!" was the unanimous response.

"Now get going."

The group split off in different directions. Marinette linked arms with Alya and they started making their way toward the area of the studio where auditions would be held. "Still nervous?"

Alya laughed. "Not anymore. Thanks, Mari."

"Um, I'm pretty sure Marinette was not solely responsible," Nino interrupted, looping his arm through Alya's available one. "Thank you very much."

Alya shook her head, but Marinette could see she was smiling. "Yes, Nino, I am beyond grateful to you as well." They reached the set, and she unlinked her arms from the two before climbing in the chair labeled 'director.' Nino followed suit, sitting in the one labeled 'producer.'

"How come I don't get a fancy chair?" Marinette demanded, her arms crossed and a fake pout on her lips. "No fair." Then she laughed. "That rhymed."

"Doesn't matter right now," Alya smirked, "because you're going to be reading for me. Here." She tossed her friend a side. "I need you to read for Maria aka Ladybug, please."

Marinette groaned. "Seriously? I can't just watch?"

"You don't have to do a lot," Alya reassured her. "People auditioning for Adam-slash-Chat Noir will be here first, and there's twenty of them at the most. Once they're done, Nino will read for Chat Noir when the thirty or so girls are all auditioning for Ladybug."

"What?!" Nino gaped. "I was not made aware of this."

"And now you have been."

Marinette snickered. "Okay, that'll be fun to watch." She sighed, walking to the center of the platform. "I guess I'll be your Ladybug for now."

Alya blew her a kiss. "This is why I love you." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and set it down on the table beside her chair before picking up a clipboard and a pen. "It's ten o'clock. If everything goes well, Max should be sending in the first group soon."

Marinette quickly skimmed over the side Alya had thrown at her. It was two scenes - one between Ladybug and Chat Noir while they were on patrol, and one between Maria and Adam at school. She still couldn't believe the script and the romance it involved. It was literally a love square between two people, which was beyond ridiculous to her. And not to mention completely unrealistic.

Though she had to admit that it _was_ pretty entertaining. Also frustrating. Very frustrating.

Alya snapped her fingers. "Nathaniel?"

Marinette had almost forgotten he was with them.

"Yes?"

"You're going to read for our 'side' characters," Alya said. "Basically anyone that's not Ladybug or Chat Noir. But that'll be in the third round of auditions, so you don't need to worry now."

Nathaniel offered her a small smile. "I'll be worried until we're done."

Alya laughed. "It's not like you're the one auditioning. You'll be great, I know it."

He gave a tiny shrug. "We'll see. Until then, I'm going to my trailer." He excused himself before anyone could protest.

"First group of auditionees."

Marinette turned to see Max with a group of five behind him.

"Thank you, Max," Alya replied. "Gentlemen, there are seats lined up along the side. When I call your name, please give me your audition form and your résumé. Nino will provide you with a side, and you'll perform those scenes with the lovely Marinette Dupain-Cheng reading as Ladybug-slash-Maria."

Marinette plastered a smile on her face and waved at the small group. "Hi! It's nice to meet you all."

"Don't be offended if I interrupt you mid-line, stop the scene early, or ask you to repeat a line a certain way," Alya continued. "It's nothing personal to you - just show business. And since we don't have time to waste, let's get this show on the road. James Kenneth? You're up."

A tall, brown-haired kid got up from his chair and headed over to Alya before handing her two sheets of paper.

"I feel I should mention that I've starred in many hit movies," he said smoothly, running a hand through his hair. "All five stars and blockbusters, racking in several hundred million at the box office."

"And I'll read about it on your résumé," Alya said, her tone overly sweet. "Thank you."

Marinette sighed. This was going to be a _long_ day.

xXxXxXx

"Last group!" Alya said triumphantly, pumping her fist. "Girl, you are almost done."

"I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it," Marinette admitted. "My mind feels completely numb."

"You know it hasn't even been two hours yet. It's barely been an hour and a half."

"Well, that's an hour and a half too long for me."

Alya snickered as she got out of her chair and walked over to her friend before pulling her into a hug. "Have I ever told you I love you more than life?"

Marinette returned the hug, unable to stop a smile from slipping onto her lips. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get the last group over with." She released her friend with a tired sigh. "To be honest, I probably have these scenes memorized now. Literally, I could be your Ladybug understudy."

Alya smirked. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if that's true." She returned to her chair. "There's only three people left - Ethan Greer, Adrien Agreste, and Carlos Correa."

Marinette froze. There was no way she'd heard her friend correctly. "Alya, did you just say Adrien Agreste?" Maybe she needed a hearing aid. Or she had an ear infection. Or something.

"Yes?" Alya replied, confusion written on her face. "Marinette, we watched his audition video _together_."

Marinette's eyes widened and she felt her jaw drop. "What?! I thought that was a prank!"

Alya snorted. "No, it was not a prank. Now get yourself together because he's gonna be here any second. I'm sure you want to make a positive first impression."

Marinette bit back what probably would have been a shriek. Adrien Agreste, the famous model, was auditioning for a show _she_ was a part of. She'd been obsessed with him and his career when she was younger, but had thankfully transitioned into more of a 'normal' admirer.

Still, she was going to meet one of her idols. An idol who happened to be the son of her hero Gabriel Agreste, the most renowned designer in all of France, if not the world. If she could ever become even _half_ as skilled as Gabriel Agreste, she'd consider it the peak of her existence.

"Adrien Agreste?" Nino whistled. "Wow, I haven't seen him in years."

Alya raised a brow. "Do you know him?"

Nino shrugged. "We went to collège together, and tried to keep in touch throughout lycée. Didn't really succeed." He laughed. "I doubt he remembers me."

Marinette caught a glimpse of her reflection in… Well, she didn't know what it was, but she knew that it was reflective and she knew that she did not like what she saw. "Alya, why didn't you tell me I look like trash?" she gasped, frantically trying to fix her hair. "I'm going to make a terrible first impression. He'll think I crawled out of a dumpster."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. First of all, you look fine. Second, if you keep stressing out, you aren't gonna do yourself any favors."

Marinette glared at her. "Now why do those words sound familiar?"

Alya shrugged innocently. "I wouldn't know."

"Last group is ready," Max interrupted, causing Marinette to jump. "Should I send them in?"

Alya smirked. "Go ahead."

xXxXxXx

Adrien sighed as he finished filling out his audition form. "Wow," he muttered. "That was more thorough than some of the forms Father has made me fill out before."

"I wouldn't speak of your father right now," Nathalie answered, her tone monotonous yet somehow still icy. "Not after you decided to come here against his wishes."

Adrien sighed again. "Very kind of you to remind me, Nathalie."

His father was not a fan of his acting career, though he was yet to actively try to stop him so long as Nathalie was with him at all times serving as his agent. It was frustrating, but a small price to pay in the long run. Besides, he was tired of being cooped up at home or having to model every day. It became repetitive and boring after a while.

Adrien stood from his seat before stapling his audition form to his résumé. No matter what Nathalie said about his father, he was not going to let it get to him. Not this time. For once in his life he was looking forward to something - assuming he was cast, of course. He had his fingers crossed.

"Everyone finished their forms?"

Adrien turned to see the pink-haired girl who'd provided them with pencils when they'd been allowed in.

"Good," she said, popping her gum and not waiting for an answer. "You're the last group of Chat Noir auditionees. Max!"

A shorter man with dark curly hair entered the room. "If you'd all follow me."

Adrien's grip tightened on his papers as his nerves spiked. He was anxious - more so for this audition than any other before. He wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it was because he really liked the movie's concept. Maybe he just wanted to stick it to his father.

He couldn't stop himself from flinching as Nathalie placed her hand on his shoulder before slowly moving him into the line behind the other two men.

"Let's get this over with quickly," she said, her voice loud enough for only him to hear. "Your father is waiting for you to return home."

Adrien sighed but refrained from commenting in a negative manner. If he made her angry, chances were she'd drag him out of there without a second thought. "Of course."

He followed the other two people and Max to the room in the studio where auditions were being held before sitting down in one of the seats lined up along the side.

"Hi everyone!"

Adrien turned to see a pretty girl with dark skin and red highlights in her hair.

"My name is Alya Césaire," she said. "You may know me better as the director of this film. You three gentleman are the last auditionees for Chat Noir-slash-Adam, which I'm sure is as much of a relief to you as it is to us." She adjusted her glasses before continuing. "The basic plot of the movie follows the adventures of Maria and Adam, as well as their respective identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir. There's also an unnecessarily complex love square between the two of them, which we're not going to get into today." She winked at them. "You'll thank us later."

Adrien blinked in surprise as a stapled set of papers was given to him. He reached out to accept it, but in doing so Nathalie snatched it from his hands.

"I review everything," was all she said when he glared at her.

"You'll have a few minutes to go over these sides before we begin," Alya continued, "courtesy of Nino Lahiffe, the producer."

Adrien's eyes widened. "Nino?" He almost laughed as he realized who'd handed him the side Nathalie had so kindly accepted for him. "I can't believe it!"

His friend beamed at him. "Long time no see, Mr. Adrien Agreste." He shook his head. "I can't believe you actually remember me."

Adrien smirked as they shared a 'bro hug,' as coined by Nino himself when they were younger. "How could I forget? You taught me how to navigate the horror that was public school."

Nino chuckled. "I think I did a pretty good job - you're a successful model now, aren't you?"

Adrien noticed Nathalie glaring at his friend, and immediately knew what was coming.

"I hardly think those events are related," she snapped. "Now, I assume you have auditions to run. It would be much appreciated if we could get a move on - Mr. Agreste expects his son to be home soon."

Nino glanced at Adrien, who shrugged helplessly.

"You're right," the producer said after a pause. "I'll, uh, text you later, Adrien. Assuming your number hasn't changed."

Adrien nodded, smiling. "It hasn't. Do that." The smile fell from his lips as he proceeded to take his copy of the side from Nathalie and read it over.

"As I'm sure you've noticed," Alya said, "the two scenes you have been provided include not just the character of Chat Noir-slash-Adam, but also Ladybug-slash-Maria. The lovely Marinette Dupain-Cheng here will be your Ladybug for the time being. If you're cast, you'll get to know her even better as the one and only costume designer for this movie."

Adrien looked up to see a somewhat petite girl with dark hair that seemed to shine blue in the set's lights waving at him and the other two auditionees. He gave her a soft smile, and she seemed to pause before returning his smile with one of her own.

He decided that she seemed sweet - just a little nervous.

"Alright, the first one up is Carlos Correa," Nino said, clapping his hands together. "Would you please give us your form and résumé and then proceed to the stage?"

Adrien resisted the urge to facepalm as Nathalie stood up, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Adrien must go first," she said, her tone daring someone to try and contradict her. "He's on a tight schedule, and this audition has already taken too much time out of his day."

"Nathalie, it really doesn't matter," he muttered, trying to get the woman to sit back down, but she ignored him.

Alya sighed. "Look, Miss…?"

"Sancoeur."

"Miss Sancoeur." The director adjusted her glasses, and Adrien had a feeling she'd dealt with more than her fair share of impatient agents today. "The order of auditionees has already been decided, and it's not going to be altered just because Mr. Agreste happens to be 'famous.' Now please. Take a seat. It'll be Adrien's turn before you know it." She placed a hand on her hip and stared Nathalie down.

Adrien probably would have whistled in appreciation had it not been for the inappropriate timing. He watched Nathalie stiffen before sighing and sitting next to him.

"Thank you," Alya said pleasantly. "Mr. Correa, you're up."

Adrien watched silently as the auditions went underway. He was confident in his own abilities, but that didn't stop his mind from thinking up the worst possible outcomes. The other two auditionees were extremely talented, not stuttering or faltering at all as they delivered lines from the script.

He was also drawn to the Marinette girl, and not just because he thought she was pretty. Despite how the director had introduced her as the costume designer, she seemed comfortable reading as Ladybug, and in his opinion was very convincing.

Although, he really _did_ think she was pretty. She had striking blue eyes he noticed even from several yards away, and a glowing smile.

Adrien shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and return his attention to his script. He needed to get the part. He needed to show his father that an acting career wasn't a waste of time.

"Thank you very much, Ethan," Alya said. "That will be all."

The butterflies in Adrien's stomach went from fluttering to violent flapping, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn't noticed that the first auditionee had finished, much less that the second one had already performed.

"That leaves you, Adrien," Nino called. "If you could give me your forms…?"

Adrien stood and pretended that his knees weren't shaking as he started walking towards his friend.

"I'll take care of these," Nathalie said, removing the résumé and audition form from Adrien's clenched fist. "As your agent, there are a few things I want to say to those two."

Adrien sighed but relented, making his way to the middle of the set where his scene partner was awaiting him. He offered her a small smile. "Hi. Marinette, right?"

The girl let out a squeak, and he laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Marinette took a shaky breath. "Yes. I'm Marinette. And you're…" She shook her head, laughing in what he suspected was an octave higher than usual. "You're Adrien Agreste!"

Adrien shrugged modestly. "It's just a name."

"I know, but…" She shook her head in disbelief. "Your father is _Gabriel Agreste_. The most talented designer the world has ever seen! And you're the face of the entire company…" Her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of crimson as she realized she was babbling.

Adrien almost laughed as she stopped herself. "I guess 'Agreste' is a household name by now. Like the Kardashians in America." He smiled at her, feeling more relaxed. "I take it you're a fan of my father's designs?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "'Fan' is an understatement. Your father is my _hero_ \- it's my dream to reach at least half of his skill level. And then you!" She gestured at him with both hands, sputtering in frustration. "You're the most famous man in Paris! Every girl - and guy, probably - dreams of meeting you, and then here I am blabbing on about nothing!"

Adrien couldn't stop himself from laughing now.

"I'm an embarrassment to my family," Marinette said, covering her face with her script.

Adrien shook his head, still laughing. "I wouldn't say that." He gently moved the papers out of her face. "You're funny, Marinette." He rubbed the back of his neck, an awkward smile painting his lips. "I feel a lot less nervous now. Thank you."

"Well, I, uh - thank you? You're welcome?"

"Adrien, are you ready now?"

Adrien recognized Alya's voice. He felt the butterflies returning, but closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten.

"You're gonna do great. I know you will."

He heard Marinette's whisper despite the pounding in his head. He could almost picture her smile, too. He opened his eyes. "Yes," he said, nodding. "I'm ready."

"Perfect." Alya clicked her pen. "Then let's begin with the scene between Maria and Adam."

Adrien turned towards Marinette, who had the first line.

"Adam, I'm so sorry I'm late!" Marinette said, her tone edged with exhaustion. "I was up all night and my alarm clock broke and I overslept and -"

"Whoa, slow your roll," he interrupted. "It's fine. You're not even late, Maria."

Marinette's jaw dropped. "What? I'm not?"

Adrien laughed. "I know - I'm surprised, too." He shrugged, offering her a teasing smile as he tapped the tip of her nose. "Guess that means there's hope for you yet."

Marinette's face turned a bright red. "Oh, you hush," she muttered, shoving away his hand. "I'm not even late _that_ often."

"Of course not," he smirked. "You're not late 'often' - you're late on a _daily basis_ , Maria." He sighed in mock disappointment. "Whatever will I do with you?"

"Buy me a new alarm clock," was the grumbled response.

"I guess that's all a best friend is worth to you." Adrien shook his head. "You know, Maria, it seems like your alarm clock is always broken." He leaned forward, getting so close to Marinette their noses were almost touching. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

Marinette jumped nearly a foot away, laughing nervously and cheeks dusted with crimson. "Whaaaat?" she said, drawing out the word excessively. "I would _never_ hide anything from you."

He shrugged, turning away, though a smirk was still dancing on his lips. "Whatever you say, Maria."

"Good job, good job," Alya said, hastily writing something down on her notepad. "Now, the next scene is between Chat Noir and Ladybug, who are the same people as Adam and Maria but also not at all the same people as Adam and Maria."

"Nice," Marinette deadpanned.

Adrien resisted the urge to smile. "Right."

"Well, whenever you're ready," Alya said, gesturing for them to begin.

This time Adrien had the first line. "Well, good day to you, M'lady," he said, bowing in an exaggerated manner before winking at Marinette. "Actually, it's a purr-fect day now that you're here."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "The jokes are neverending with you, huh, Chat?"

"Admit it, Bugaboo - you love my jokes."

"In your dreams and my nightmares, Kitty."

Adrien placed a hand over his heart. "Meow-ch. How you wound me, M'lady."

Marinette smirked. "Thankfully, any wounds I inflict on you are not fatal." She crossed her arms, the smirk falling from her lips. "Now, what's going on? Why'd you call me?"

Adrien stood up straighter, a serious look forming on his face. "Someone's been akumatized - at least, I think so." He shrugged, adding, "If you know of any _other_ way for a seemingly normal person to gain superpowers out of the blue, let me know."

"It's called a Miraculous." Marinette rolled her eyes. "You know - what _we_ have. How certain are you that it's an akuma?"

"And I'm going to stop you right there," Alya interrupted. "Partially because I don't need any more from you, partially because I know everyone here is dying for a break, and partially because your agent's death stare is working, Adrien - I am definitely dying."

Adrien sighed as he saw the irritated expression on Nathalie's face. "Thank you for this opportunity, Miss Césaire. I'm glad to have had the chance to audition for all of you, and I'm also glad to have had the chance to work with Miss Dupain-Cheng here, even if it was only briefly."

He handed his script to Marinette before walking away, Nathalie following him out the door.

"You'll receive a phone call or an email informing you of our decision whether to cast you or not!" Alya shouted after him.

"Understood," was Nathalie's terse reply, but her tone was so low he doubted anyone had heard her but himself. "Adrien, you are officially ten minutes behind schedule. I hope you're satisfied."

"Ten minutes behind my father's schedule," he muttered in response, but didn't protest further. Instead, he carefully removed his keys from his pockets and slyly tossed them behind some equipment as they exited the studio.

It was difficult to keep from smiling. He'd be returning to that studio sooner than Nathalie thought.

It was simple things in life - like annoying his father by 'accidentally' leaving his keys behind at the studio - that kept him going.

Adrien climbed into the limo waiting for him, Nathalie following suit. He finished buckling in right as the car pulled away. Deciding not to bother with conversation, he stubbornly gazed out the window, glancing at his watch every now and then to see how much longer he had until he felt he could notify Nathalie that he'd 'lost' his keys somewhere in the studio.

Then he noticed the weariness tugging on the corners of his father's assistant's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Nathalie sighed, leaning back in her seat. "I'm fine, Adrien, though your concern is appreciated."

Adrien frowned. "I can tell that something is bothering you. What is it?"

Nathalie managed a small smile. "You're a kind boy. Always have been." She shrugged. "It really is nothing, though. Just a lot of pressure from your father." She sighed a second time. "I'm sorry I was so tough with you today. About the audition, and your father. I didn't mean to be."

"It's not your fault," Adrien said. "I want to do this, but my father _doesn't_ want me to, so you get stuck in the middle between the two of us." He laughed wryly. "I honestly cannot imagine a worse position for someone to be in."

"Well, it's not like I'm not used to it by now," was Nathalie's dry response. She offered him a small smile. "I know how much this role - and acting as a whole - means to you. I want _you_ to know that I support you in your endeavors and that I hope you're cast in the part you want."

Adrien couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Thank you, Nathalie."

"Of course. Now how about we turn around and go get those keys you dropped at the studio?"

Adrien froze, then laughed nervously. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

xXxXxXx

"Can you believe it?" Marinette gushed, her eyes twinkling as she spun around in a circle. " _The_ Adrien Agreste said he enjoyed working with me! Today is the best day of my life!" She suddenly froze, then groaned. "Oh no. _The_ Adrien Agreste saw me with my hair a mess and without makeup on!" She buried her face in her hands. "Today is the worst day of my life."

Marinette felt an arm loop around her shoulders, causing her to look up.

"You worry too much, girl," Alya said, shaking her head and smirking. "You look fine, and you did a great job today! If you weren't the best designer I know, I'd probably cast you as Ladybug. Although…" She laughed. "You'd only enjoy that if Adrien was your Chat Noir."

Marinette giggled. "I can neither confirm nor deny that statement."

Alya rolled her eyes. "I should have expected that." She pulled away from Marinette and moved over to Nino. "How long do we have until Ladybug auditionees start arriving?"

"Twenty, maybe thirty minutes if we're lucky," Nino said, his tone apologetic. "We ran a bit over schedule with Chat Noir."

Alya sighed. "Another thing I should have expected." She ran her hands through her hair. "Alright, give everyone a ten minute break. Then we'll start preparing for the next set of auditionees."

"Roger that."

Marinette walked over to her friend and gently squeezed her shoulder. "You're doing great, Alya. These first auditions have gone by smoothly, and I know the rest of them will, too. And you know how I know?" She grinned at Alya, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Because you'll kill us all if you aren't home by at least 7."

She watched Alya open her mouth to protest, then snap it shut as nothing came to mind.

"You're right," Alya admitted, laughing. "I probably would."

"Exactly," Marinette agreed, starting to push her friend forward. "Now go to your trailer for five or so minutes. Collect your thoughts. Breathe."

"Alright, alright. I will."

Marinette smirked as she released the girl. "Good." She noticed Nino out of the corner of her eye and quickly made her way over to him. "Hey, Nino?"

"What do you need?" the producer asked, writing something down on a small notepad before shoving it into his back pocket. "If this is about the costume budget, you already know -"

"It's not," Marinette interrupted. "Besides, I already know you're working hard on that. This is actually about Adrien."

"What about him?"

"Well, do you know why he's auditioning for this movie?" Marinette asked. "I understand if you don't, since you haven't talked in forever and stuff."

"I was actually wondering the same thing," Nino admitted. "I know the media has been all over him, but I thought that was because he's a model and stuff." He smirked at her. "Why do you ask?"

Marinette giggled nervously. "I'm going to say 'no reason,' and you're going to pretend to believe me, okay?"

Nino shook his head, laughing. "Whatever, Marinette."

She seized that as an opportunity to take her leave. She noticed Juleka leaning slightly against the wall and talking on the phone to someone - based on the girl's elated expression, she had a feeling it was Rose.

Alix and Kim were arguing about something again, though Marinette was impressed that they were still at their assigned stations. Nathaniel was nowhere to be found, and Max was messing with some of his camera equipment.

Marinette had to admit that no matter who was cast, the movie was going to be great.

She just really hoped Adrien would help make it great, too.

xXxXxXx

"Thank you very much, Kagami," Alya said, smiling at the girl. "That will be all."

Marinette watched the girl's expression shift from the cheer of Maria to… Well, blank. Apparently Kagami was a quiet one. Even so… "She was pretty good, huh?"

Alya looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on the conversation. "Mhm," she murmured. "Definitely a chance of casting her." She winked at Marinette. "That comment is completely off the books, of course."

Marinette giggled. "Right."

"Perhaps you're wondering my opinions of Adrien Agreste," Alya continued, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I _could_ tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"I'm pretty sure I would die for him by now," Marinette retorted, grinning. "I've never met a kinder or more good-looking guy in my life."

Alya shook her head. "Girl, you are head over heels for a guy you barely had a real conversation with."

"Then cast him so I can have _more_ real conversations with him," Marinette countered. "He did really well at auditions - and you know it."

Alya placed a finger over her own lips. "I plead the fifth."

Marinette groaned, rolling her eyes. "We live in _France_!"

"American crime TV is so great though."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

"Next group of Ladybug auditionees," Max called, interrupting the conversation.

Alya frowned. "Is someone missing?"

"Yes," Max replied. "Chloe Bourgeois."

Marinette's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Right. She's supposed to be auditioning. Do you think she forgot it was today?"

Alya shook her head, frustration evident on her face. "I bet she's late intentionally. She'll probably get here in a few minutes and rant about how her father is funding the movie so we can't kick her out." She sighed. "And what really sucks is that she'll be right. We can't risk losing the Bourgeois family's funding."

Marinette hated seeing her friend so distraught. "Here's what I suggest," she said, giving Alya a comforting hug. "You run these auditions like normal, and I go out there and wait for Chloe to show up. Once she does, I'll bring her in here right away so we can get _her_ audition done in a flash. How does that sound?"

"You are a lifesaver," Alya said, her shoulders slumping in relief.

"Yes, and don't you forget it." Marinette released her friend and left the auditions area, making her way towards the front where Alix was giving people forms and Kim was standing at the door.

"What's up?" Alix said, popping her gum. "Does Alya need something?"

"Well, she needs a ten hour nap," Marinette laughed. "Sadly, that's something none of us can provide." She sat down in an unoccupied chair. "I'm here to wait for Chloe Bourgeois to show up so I can escort her to auditions immediately."

Alix smirked. "Well, I can't argue with that. Means I don't have to deal with her."

Marinette shuddered. "Believe me, I'm not exactly looking forward to it."

Just then there was the sound of a door being slammed open.

"I'm here!" a voice said dramatically. "You can all worship me now."

Marinette sighed. This was going to be fun. She stood up from her seat as Chloe entered the room, followed by a slightly shorter girl with fiery orange hair.

"Who are you?" Chloe sneered, looking Marinette up and down. "You don't seem like someone who's fit to direct a film that _my_ dad is paying for."

"You don't have to worry about that," Marinette said, her voice oozing with false pleasantry. "I'm the costume designer. Would you mind explaining to me why you're late for your audition?"

Chloe snapped her fingers. "Sabrina?"

The redheaded girl stepped forward. "Miss Bourgeois is in fact _not_ late. Because her family owns this movie, whenever she arrives is technically on time."

"And don't you forget it," Chloe snapped. "Now, where am I supposed to audition?"

"Before we get to that," Marinette began, "if you could fill out this form here -"

"Sabrina will take care of that for me," Chloe interrupted. "She also has my contract prepared." She laughed. "It's non-negotiable, of course. My dad pays me however much I want."

Marinette bit back a sigh of exasperation at the girl's overconfidence. No real actor showed up to audition for a film they _hadn't_ been cast in yet with a _contract_.

Sabrina took the form from Marinette and a pencil from Alix and began filling it out.

"I'm getting tired of waiting," Chloe continued. "Do I get to audition now or what?"

"As soon as your form is complete," Marinette reassured her.

Chloe groaned. "Hurry up, Sabrina! I want to audition already." She turned her attention towards Marinette, twirling her hair. "Oh, and what's this I hear about Adrien Agreste auditioning for a part in this dumb movie, too? I'm only willing to audition with him. And work with him." She then flipped her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "Basically, Adrien and I are a package deal. The _ultimate_ power couple."

Marinette couldn't believe her ears. This blonde bimbo knew Adrien? And was _dating_ him? "W-Well," she stammered, "Chat Noir auditions have already been held. He left a while ago. Plus, all Ladybug auditionees have to perform the scene with the producer in order for casting to remain unbiased."

"Like I care about all that technical stuff," Chloe snapped. "Either I audition with Adrien, or I don't audition at all. If that happens, you're going to lose all the money your precious movie is riding on."

Marinette felt helpless. What was she supposed to do - summon Adrien with an ancient Latin chant?

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but -"

"Adrikins!"

Marinette turned around to see Chloe throwing herself onto Adrien Agreste and kissing him on the cheek. The sick feeling in her stomach only subdued when she noticed the look of disgust painted on Adrien's face.

"Yes, Chloe, it's nice to see you," he muttered, gently pushing her away.

"Now that you're here, I can audition!" Chloe beamed. "Clearly this is what the universe wants."

Marinette jumped as Sabrina shoved the completed form into her hands.

"Finished," she announced, clearly pleased with herself. "I know Miss Bourgeois better than I know myself."

Marinette wondered if that was really something to be proud of.

"What are you talking about, Chloe?" Adrien said, confusion written all over his face. "I'm only here because I think I dropped my keys -"

"Oh, who cares about your keys?" Chloe said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Audition with me!"

"Miss Bourgeois, I already explained to you that you cannot audition with him," Marinette said again, trying to keep her voice level. "Auditionees cannot perform with each other."

"I think I'm a special case," Chloe said sweetly. "Isn't that right, Adrikins?"

Adrien sighed. "Chloe, if Marinette says auditions are being run a certain way, then that's how they're being run. Okay?"

Chloe pouted. "You're siding with her, Adrikins? I thought you loved me."

He raised a brow at her. "I'm siding with the rules, Chloe."

Chloe groaned. "Ugh. Fine." She glared at Marinette. "I guess I'll audition without Adrien. This time."

"I appreciate your cooperation," Marinette replied, praying that there would never be a 'next time.' "Follow me." She led the irritating woman and her agent to the auditions area. "Sit over there and wait until your name is called. Nino will provide you with a script you'll be using to audition with."

Chloe pushed past her, followed by Sabrina.

Marinette shook her head and walked over to Alya, who was dismissing the current auditionee. "Well, Chloe finally showed up."

Alya sighed. "That's good and bad, I guess." She laughed bitterly. "Just in time, too - she's up next on my list."

Marinette gave her friend a pat on the shoulder. "Good luck. She's worse than I thought."

"Thanks. Care to stay with me?"

"No can do. I'll be back as soon as she's done, but not a second earlier."

"Understandable."

Marinette took that as her cue to leave, quietly making her way out of the room and returning to the entrance of the studio, where Adrien was talking with Alix.

"It's just a few keys and an Eiffel Tower keychain," he was saying. "I think I must have dropped them while I was here."

"Well, no keys have shown up yet," Alix said, shrugging. "I can call you if they do, but until then -"

"But until then I'll help you look for them," Marinette interrupted, offering the two a wide smile. "I'm not doing anything at the moment, if you'd like my assistance."

Adrien returned her smile. "That'd be great. Thank you."

Alix rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You two have fun." She returned to her table, leaving Marinette alone with Adrien.

Alone. With Adrien Agreste. She had to be dreaming.

"So," Marinette began, snapping herself out of it. "Where do you think you could have lost your keys?"

Adrien laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "That's the thing. I really don't know. I already looked around outside the entrance of the studio, and right inside, but I couldn't find anything."

"Maybe you dropped them as you were leaving auditions," Marinette suggested, trying to stop her heart from racing. It was impossible for a human being to be that cute. Surely he was descended from some race of ancient gods. "Let's start there." She turned on her heel and quickly walked away, praying her face would stop resembling an overly-ripe tomato.

Marinette stopped when she reached the outside of the auditions room. She could faintly hear the now familiar sounds of Chloe complaining about something, and had to resist the urge to laugh. Instead she crouched and started scanning the floor for keys.

She froze as Adrien followed suit, kneeling down right beside her.

"So you're the costume designer," Adrien said in an obvious attempt to spark conversation. "Do you only design for film, or have you done other stuff, too?"

Marinette laughed nervously, not making eye contact as she continued to look over the floor. "I've done a lot of independent work. Mostly small scale businesses, if any at all. I'm hoping this movie can be my big break and help me get hired at Gabriel or something." She silently cursed herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Now he was going to think she was a weirdo who was obsessed with him. "Or other companies!" she hastily amended. "Not just Gabriel! Gabriel is like my dream company to work for and stuff, but there's no way I'm actually good enough to work there -" She stopped herself when she realized Adrien was laughing.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, still laughing. "You're really funny, Marinette." He smiled at her. "I'm sure one day you'll work for Gabriel. And when you do, I'm going to put you as the head of my sector of the company. Sound good?"

Marinette blinked. "Um - yeah! Sounds grood! Good. Sounds good." How eloquent of her.

"I look forward to that day," Adrien said. "Hey, do you have a pen or something?"

Marinette patted her pockets. "I might?" She fished through her purse and pulled out a black Sharpie. "Does this work?"

"Perfect."

She watched as he took the marker and reached into his pocket before pulling out a tiny notepad. He scribbled something on a blank page before ripping it out and handing it to her. He then returned the notebook to his pocket and capped the Sharpie and placed it in her empty hand.

"It's my cell number," he explained. "You should text me sometime. Maybe I can score you an interview with my father."

Marinette was speechless. Finally, she managed to say, "For real?"

Adrien laughed. "Yes, for real. Although maybe you should put together a portfolio first. I'm sure you're really talented." His eyes suddenly shifted to behind her, and he snapped his fingers. "Aha!"

Marinette watched in confusion as he reached behind a set of cameras.

"My keys," he explained, showing them to her.

Marinette nodded. "Right." She giggled. "I guess I forgot about them!"

"Me too," Adrien admitted. "Unfortunately, now that I've found them, it does mean I have to go. I'll see myself out." He smiled at her. "I hope you put my number to good use, Marinette. It was nice meeting you today."

"Too you!" she called after him as he walked away. "Er, you too!" She sighed as he left the room. "Way to impress him, Marinette. Now he probably thinks you're a complete idiot." She tucked the slip of paper with his number on it and her Sharpie back into her purse before returning to the auditions room, where Chloe's audition was just ending.

"Thank you, Miss Bourgeois," Alya said. "You can leave now."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked. "I can do so much more, you know. I've been trained in gymnastics for twelve years, and -"

"And I will read all about that and more on your résumé," Alya interrupted. "If you don't mind, we have other people waiting."

"Hmph," Chloe sniffed. "Whatever. Come on, Sabrina. Let's go."

Marinette giggled as Alya slumped down in her chair in relief as Chloe left the room with her agent. "How terrible was it?"

Alya sighed. "I honestly don't know what to say."

Marinette winced, hopping up into the chair beside her friend. "Ouch. That bad?"

Alya shrugged. "Depends. Was Chloe herself 'that bad?'" She shuddered. "She was ten times worse than I thought she would be." She glanced around the room, making sure no one was listening. Lowering her voice, she added, "But her audition was actually _really_ good. And she does have gymnastics ability, which could come in handy for the character."

Marinette groaned. "Why are the worst people always so good at everything?"

Alya shook her head. "I wish I knew, girl." She clapped her hands together. "Alright, next I'm going to need Louise Jackson!"

Marinette cracked her neck, knowing there was still plenty of auditions to get through. Once this set was done, there were still auditions for the primary villain, and after that were the auditions for 'Akumatized Victims' and other side characters.

Fortunately, she had many thoughts about Adrien to distract her.

xXxXxXx

"Is everyone agreed on the cast list so far?"

Marinette nodded and murmured her agreement with the rest of the crew. Alya was a real team player - she called everyone together and asked them to help prepare the cast list with her. Her reasoning was that everyone there had gotten to see a different side of the auditionees, and therefore insight from everyone would help her create the best cast.

"Alright," Alya said. "Now we're starting to get to the major characters. The third akumatized victim - aka Heather-slash-Stormy Weather."

"You totally just rhymed," Nino snickered.

Alya swatted her boyfriend with her clipboard, causing everyone to laugh. "Hush." She returned her attention to the crew. "Any thoughts?"

Marinette bit her lip, trying to think. She didn't remember much about the auditions for akumatized victims, even for the ones with a bigger role.

Max snapped his fingers. "Hey… What about that girl in the blue polka dot dress? I didn't see her audition because I had to leave to get the next group, but she seemed to feel really passionate about that role."

"I remember her," Nino said. "She was convincing. I honestly thought she'd somehow been actually akumatized. Plus, as Heather, she played the 'queen of the clique' trope well."

"Right," Alya said thoughtfully. "Aurore Beauréal." She flipped through her clipboard. "Well, apparently I wrote down that she was good. Anyone have any other ideas?"

Marinette looked around, but no one made any move to protest. "I guess not?"

"Then Aurore Beauréal will be our Heather," Alya said, scribbling the name down. "Awesome. Next is the second akumatized victim. Veronica-slash-Horrificator."

This time Marinette _did_ remember a particular auditionee. "Oh, what about the Mylene girl?" she said. "I remember she played Veronica so well. At first I thought she actually was scared of her own shadow, yet when it got to the character's bolder moments, the transition was impressive."

"What about her as Horrificator?" Alya countered. "We have to look at the whole character."

"Horrificator is mostly green screen," Nathaniel said. "The fact she can play Veronica is more important."

Alya laughed. "Then I'm convinced. Mylene Haprèle will be our Veronica." She quickly wrote it down. "Alright, the first akumatized victim is Jason-slash-Stoneheart. Thoughts?"

"Oh, I know the perfect guy," Alix smirked. "Remember -"

"Actually, I think _I_ have a better idea," Kim interrupted. "That dude who was really tall? Totally cast him."

Alix snorted. "Please. Cast that guy who was tall but also lowkey buff."

"The tall guy I'm thinking of was also lowkey buff," Kim growled. "His name was like Isaac or something."

"Well, the guy I'm thinking of was named Evan," Alix countered. "And since my sense of judgement is way better than Kim's, you should cast him."

"I think you're both talking about the same guy," Alya snickered. "Ivan Bruel."

"I thought of him first!" Kim shouted. "Ha! Suck it, Alix."

"Yeah right," Alix said, rolling her eyes. "I thought of him _way_ before -"

"And that's enough of that," Nino interrupted. "Although I agree with you. He definitely embodied the 'gentle giant' character."

Alya nodded. "Agreed. Ivan it is." She jotted it down. "Moving on to our villain! Anyone have any suggestions for Hawk Moth-slash-David?"

Marinette snickered. "How about Chloe? She's already a witch in real life."

Alya frowned at her, though Marinette could see the sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "No name-calling, Mari. We have to be fair."

Marinette rolled her eyes dramatically. "If you insist."

"I do insist, thank you very much."

"I have an idea for Hawk Moth."

Marinette turned around to see Juleka, who pushed her hair out of her face as she looked at the ground.

"What's your idea?" Alya asked.

"It's kind of… Unorthodox," Juleka murmured. "I don't know if you'll like it. And I don't want you to think I'm biased or anything."

"Unorthodox and biased are practically Alya's middle names," Marinette said, smiling. "Who do you think should be cast?"

Juleka bit her lip and finally lifted her gaze from the ground. "Rose."

Marinette blinked in surprise. "Rose? Like, _your_ Rose?"

Juleka nodded slowly. "But not because she's my girlfriend. I think she'd do really well."

"But Hawk Moth is supposed to be a guy," Nino pointed out. "And Rose isn't exactly the most masculine person I know."

"I understand," Juleka said, "but I've read the script. We've _all_ read the script. It wouldn't be difficult to change the role to fit a female."

"She's right about that," Alya said. "But why do you think Rose should be cast?"

"Because it would make the plot twist… More of an actual twist," Juleka replied, her voice tinged with something akin to confidence. "A sweet innocent girl turns out to be a dastardly supervillain? People would go crazy over that."

" _And_ Rose showed in her audition that she can adapt to a variety of roles," Marinette added. "Her skills are top notch. I think Juleka's idea is brilliant."

Alya tapped her chin with her pencil. "Well, you've convinced me." She turned to her boyfriend. "Nino? Thoughts?"

Nino chuckled. "Same here. Let's make Rose the supervillain!"

"It's official then," Alya laughed. "Rose Lavillant will be Hawk Moth-slash-David." She paused. "Maybe Daisy. Hawk Moth-slash-Daisy." She sighed. "I'll have to talk to the screenwriters about that."

"And now it's down to the final two," Nino said. "Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"I'm not biased or anything," Marinette offered in what she was sure was a very unconvincing tone of voice, "but I think Adrien would be an _amazing_ Chat Noir. Just a thought."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Girl, you're more biased towards him than Juleka could ever be towards Rose."

"Nah," Marinette said, waving her hand dismissively. "All I'm saying is that he did a really good job."

"What about that Carlos guy?" Max suggested. "He flirted as Chat Noir like his life depended on it."

"But he also carried that over into his Adam persona, which we don't want," Nino said. "I'm inclined to side with Marinette. Adrien was able to separate the characters but also keep them together in a way that it'll make sense to Maria when the reveal occurs."

"Yes!" Marinette cheered. "Nino supports me."

"Because Adrien is an old friend," Alya snorted. "But you know what? I also agree. Adrien Agreste will be our Chat Noir-slash-Adam."

Marinette couldn't stop herself from beaming. She'd get to see Adrien again! Probably almost every day, and for two or three whole _months_.

"Last but not least is Ladybug-slash-Maria," Alya said. "This is tough, because in my opinion there were two girls who exceeded any preconceived expectations I could have formed."

"Agreed," Nino said. "Kagami Tsurugi and Chloe Bourgeois."

Marinette's jaw dropped. "Chloe was _that_ good?!" She groaned. Now she was starting to wish she'd actually seen the girl's audition.

"Unfortunately, yes," Alya admitted. "Apparently she's very talented at being anyone but herself. But there was also Kagami."

"Kagami was nearly as good as Chloe in auditions," Nino pointed out as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Plus, her personality is much less brash than Chloe's. Much, much less brash."

"As much as I hate to say this," Alya sighed, "I'm inclined to give the part to Chloe. Her acting is superb and so are her gymnastics skills. I'm just praying those two things will balance out her personality."

Marinette didn't like it, but Alya was right. It also didn't help that the entire movie was riding on the Bourgeois family's funding. "Cast Chloe," she said, finally relenting. "I really don't like her, but I trust your judgement, and so does everyone else here."

The crew voiced its agreement in a chorus of yeses.

Alya smiled. "You guys are the best. Well, Chloe it is. That means the cast list is complete!" She placed a hand on her hip, the smile falling from her face to be replaced by a serious stare. "Filming starts in two days, guys."

"Then I guess we have a lot of work to do," Marinette said, eyes twinkling. "And no time to waste."

"Exactly," Alya agreed. "So let's get started!"

xXxXxXx

 **This chapter was longer than I thought it was going to be, but I guess that's what happens when there's a lot of information to cover. I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to see you again whenever I post the next chapter.**


	2. Pick-Up Lines? No, Pick up Your Script

**Wow, it's really been almost a year, huh? Well, I did warn that there would be large amounts of time between updates for the first six chapters. However, I realize I forgot to explain why.**

 **Basically, I'm allowing myself to post a chapter for every five I write. This will allow for a consistent updating schedule** ** _after_** **chapter six is posted. Until then, expect very large gaps. In my defense, I have written close to 50,000 words for this story after I posted chapter one, y'all. With that on top of school, I'm not surprised it took me close to a year.**

 **But I am sorry for how long it's been! I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me and to read and hopefully enjoy this chapter.**

 **Again, major thanks to my friend Erin for editing. She is a lifesaver and I adore her.**

 **Note:** Everyone in this story is aged up to around 25 or so.

xXxXxXx

Adrien woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring on his phone. Groaning, he rolled over and tried to grab it from his dresser, almost dropping it on the floor because his mind was barely awake. Through his blurry vision he tried to read the time.

 _6:30_.

What the hell? Why was he getting up so early on a Sunday? There was no reason to -

Oh. Right.

He sighed, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He had a sizing appointment for his father's latest line at 7:15, followed by a meeting he was supposed to attend with his father at noon, and a photoshoot that evening.

A normal day in the Agreste household, unfortunately.

Adrien climbed out of bed, glancing at his notifications as he did so. He sighed, placing his phone back on his dresser. Still nothing regarding whether he'd been cast or not. No emails, no messages. And nothing from Marinette, either.

Maybe he'd been getting his hopes up when he'd decided to audition for the part. Plenty of other talented actors had auditioned, and most of them he was sure had more experience than him. Not to mention that Nathalie, while she meant well, had not necessarily left the best impression on everyone there.

Deciding to push it out of his mind for the time being, Adrien pulled out a shirt and a pair of jeans from his drawer and got dressed. He shoved his phone into his pocket and made his way downstairs, where Nathalie was already waiting for him.

"Your breakfast has been prepared," she said, and he nodded in response.

Adrien sometimes wondered why he still lived in his childhood home instead of finding his own place. It had been several years since he'd graduated, and it wasn't like he couldn't afford to move out - being the face of the Agreste company meant money was something he always had on hand.

Maybe it had something to do with his father. He wasn't sure whether he just didn't want to leave his father alone, or if he felt pressured to stay because his job was completely reliant on him. Either way, Adrien knew that moving out could have disastrous consequences.

He sighed as he sat down at the empty table and started eating the food on the plate in front of him. If it could be called 'eating.' Really he was just pushing the food around and pretending it looked appetizing.

Adrien gave up after a while, unable to make himself eat. He wiped his hands on a napkin before taking his phone out of his pocket, silently hoping to have received a text.

Nothing.

News alerts and various website notifications. Apparently he'd reached a million followers on Instagram. He didn't even run that account.

"I take it you're not hungry?"

Adrien practically fell out of his seat as he spun around to see his father standing in the doorway. "You scared me," he said accusingly. "I didn't realize you had silent footsteps."

His father shrugged. "Perhaps you weren't paying attention. I know daydreaming is an unfortunate habit of yours. One I believe you should work on breaking." He glanced at his watch. "If you don't intend on eating anything, you can get started with the fitting early. Pierre is waiting for you in the studio off of Rue Cassoni."

Adrien sighed. "Yes, Father."

"And I believe Nathalie has already prepared a car and driver for you," his father said, continuing as if Adrien hadn't spoken. "However, she will not be accompanying you today. She'll be staying with me."

"I understand," Adrien said, rising from his chair. "I'll be on my way."

"Good," was his father's terse reply. "I've already informed Pierre that I expect you back here at 11:30 sharp, meaning I will know if you try to make any unexpected 'detours.' In other words, Adrien, do not make any."

Adrien stared coldly at his father before a smirk slipped onto his lips. "You worry too much. I won't be late." With that, he moved past his father out of the dining room and into the foyer before stepping outside.

Shielding his eyes from the sun, he noticed the limo waiting outside of the gated driveway for him. He checked his phone again before shoving it back into his pocket and walking towards the car.

"Good morning," he said to the driver, who nodded in response. He vaguely recognized the woman's face. She must have driven for his family before.

"Rue Cassoni, right?" she asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror as she pulled away.

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p.' "Thank you."

Adrien rested his chin on his hand as he stared out the window. He was tempted to close his eyes and drift off to sleep in the warm sun, but the trip to the studio was no longer in ten minutes, so it would be virtually pointless.

He was tempted to check his phone again, but he reminded himself that it was still early. Any emails or texts he might or might not receive probably wouldn't be sent until later.

He'd also looked at his phone less than two minutes ago.

Sighing, Adrien leaned back in his seat and resigned himself to another day of boring work for his father.

xXxXxXx

Marinette fell out of her bed with a screech, slamming her face onto the floorboards as her alarm blared throughout the apartment. "Ow," she muttered, rubbing her forehead and wincing as she hit a tender spot. "That's gonna leave a bruise."

Alya's gift of a new alarm clock was both the best and worst present Marinette had ever received. While it never failed to wake her up, it also never failed to wake her up with a bang. Literally. She always banged her head onto something.

She sighed, reaching up from the ground and stretching to successfully turn off the alarm. Her phone lay on the floor beside her, though she wasn't sure how it had gotten there.

"7 am," she said to herself, yawning as she stood up and started walking to the kitchen area of her apartment. "What a time to be alive."

Marinette poured herself a cup of coffee and added so much creamer that it turned at least four shades lighter. Alya would often joke about it - _"Marinette, do you want some coffee with your creamer?"_

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter before taking a sip. She hummed happily to herself as the caffeine started to flow through her veins, waking her up. It was only a few minutes after seven now, and she had to be at the studio for nine. In theory, she had plenty of time, but she'd also promised Alya that she'd pick up food from her parents' bakery for the two of them. She also wanted to actually see her parents while she was there. Pre-production for the movie had taken up more of her time than she had expected, and she hadn't been able to talk in-person to her parents in weeks.

Marinette took her coffee to her bedroom and started to get dressed for the day, choosing black pants and a dark red sweater she was rather fond of, as it had been one of the first things she'd ever designed and sewn herself.

Well, one of her first designs that was actually worth mentioning, anyway.

She grabbed a pair of black flats before grabbing her coffee and heading into the bathroom, wincing at her frazzled appearance. Adrien was going to show up at the studio at some point to pick up his script, and she was determined to look at least half-decent.

Marinette took another sip of her coffee before grabbing a brush and pulling it through her dark hair. Her body went on autopilot as she put into ponytails and started to apply basic makeup, which allowed her mind to freely wander.

She was excited to start filming the movie, though filming meant she'd have to crack down on costumes. She planned on picking up clothes from the stores sponsoring the movie in a few days, but before that she'd have to get everyone's measurements. Once she got those it was just a matter of sitting down and getting to work.

Thankfully, Alya had reassured her that the more complicated costumes wouldn't be needed until a few weeks out, and Marinette already had all of the fabric and designs for what she planned on making from 'scratch,' so she wasn't worried.

Was she stressed? Absolutely. But not worried. If Alya had faith she could do it, then she could do it. Assuming she didn't get distracted, anyways. With Adrien on set, Marinette wondered if she'd have to lock herself in her trailer if she wanted to get any real work done.

As her body returned from autopilot to manual mode, Marinette studied her reflection in the mirror before shrugging. She was no beauty queen, but at least now she looked presentable. Grabbing her coffee, she left her bathroom and turned the light off behind her.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. It was only 7:18. Without thinking, she clicked on her contacts. 'Adrien Agreste' was the first one listed.

Marinette sighed, flopping backwards in a terribly ungraceful manner onto her bed. She wanted to text him, but she didn't know what to say. 'Hi' was too plain, 'Yo' did not sound like her at all, and 'Greetings' made her sound like an old woman.

Conclusion: don't text him at all.

Second conclusion: ask Alya what to text him.

Marinette grabbed her purse and shoved her phone into it. She couldn't waste any more time debating with herself about what to text a boy. She had more important things to do - like get breakfast for her and Alya.

She made sure her apartment door was locked before she tucked her keys away and headed downstairs to the parking lot, where her little 'black cherry' car was waiting for her. Fortunately, her parents' bakery was only twenty or so minutes from her apartment, and from there - with the right shortcuts - the bakery was less than ten minutes away from the studio.

While waiting for a red light to turn green, Marinette idly scrolled through songs on her phone. There were almost as many American artists as there were French, but she didn't feel in the mood for English lyrics. As she noticed the lights on the crossing intersection turning red, she hastily chose one of her many Jagged Stone playlists before tossing her phone onto the seat next to her.

The familiar sounds of rock n' roll filled her car as the light turned green and she pulled through the intersection. Traffic was sparse, but it was early on a Sunday morning, so that wasn't out of the ordinary.

Less than twenty minutes later, Marinette pulled into the parking lot of her parents' bakery. She turned off her car and dropped the keys in her purse before turning off the music still playing on her phone. Again she toyed with the idea of sending Adrien a text, but decided against it and got out of her car as she put her phone away.

A bell jingled above her head as she entered the bakery, and the familiar smell of bread and sweets baking swirled in the air around her.

"Your favorite customer is here!" she called, stepping up to the counter. "And I come with money to spend!"

Less than a moment later her mom and dad burst from the back of the bakery and practically ran through the shop to envelop her in a hug.

Not that she minded.

"Marinette, we've missed you so much!" her mom said. "How have you been?"

"You haven't been visiting other bakeries, have you?" her father said sternly before winking at her.

Marinette laughed. "I've been doing great, Mom, and no, I have not been to any other bakeries, Dad." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "What, do you think I'm a cheater or something? I would never."

"Well, what brings you here today?" her dad asked, moving to behind the counter. "Need some breakfast? Or are you just here to visit?"

"A little bit of both," Marinette said. "I need breakfast for Alya and I, but I made sure I got here early so I could spend a little time with the most amazing parents _and_ bakers in the entire world."

"You flatter us too much," her mom chastised. "If we were that good, we'd have a larger shop and a bunch of employees to do the baking for us."

"And that's exactly why you're the best," Marinette countered. "You hand-bake everything and serve your customers personally. I can't think of any other bakery that operates like yours does and still remains constantly busy."

"Speaking of constantly busy," her father said, "how's the movie coming along? It's clear that it's consumed your life."

Marinette giggled. "Well, that much is true. We actually held auditions yesterday, and Alya wants to start filming either tomorrow or the day after. Everything up until now has actually been pre-production, and since we're going to have a real cast from here on out, we have to hit the ground running."

"In other words," her father said, rolling her eyes, "you're going to have even less time to visit until you're done filming."

Marinette laughed nervously, deliberately not making eye contact. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"We're just teasing you, Marinette," her mother chuckled. "We know you'll stop by when you can, and that's all we ask."

"Although," her father added, "it's also nice when you choose to buy a thing or two while you visit."

"Tom!"

"I'm kidding, Sabine." He winked at Marinette. "Mostly."

"Don't listen to him," her mother said, rolling her eyes. "Has anything exciting happened? With casting or any of the pre-production stuff you have to do?"

"I guess it depends on your definition of exciting," Marinette said, sitting down at one of the bakery's tables. "Overall everything has been moving pretty smoothly, which is a good thing, at least for the sake of Alya's sanity."

"How's Alya handling being a director?" her father asked. "I imagine it's a lot of stress to put on one person." He chuckled. "You know, when you two were younger, she was always filming anything and everything around her. I figured she'd grow up to be a photographer or, um, one of those filming people on movie sets."

"I believe the term you're looking for is 'cinematographer,'" Marinette said, smirking. "Not 'filming people.' But I know what you mean." She shrugged. "Alya's been handling everything well so far, and it helps that Nino is an incredibly reliable producer. I think she's going to be a fantastic director."

"I'm sure she will," her mother said, smiling. "Alya has always had very clear ideas in her head of what she wants and how she's going to get it."

Marinette snickered. "Exactly."

"So nothing 'exciting' has really happened yet?" her father said.

"Actually," Marinette mused, "I guess I wouldn't call them 'exciting,' but auditions yesterday were very _interesting_."

"An inside scoop from the costume designer herself," her mom said. "I've never felt so honored in my life."

Marinette rolled her eyes before laughing. "Okay - what do you want to hear first? The positive or the negative?"

"Get the negative over with first," her father replied. "Save the good news for last."

"Mhm," her mother nodded.

"As you know, the Bourgeois family is funding a majority of this movie," Marinette began. "And we all knew that Chloe Bourgeois was going to be auditioning for it."

"I remember her," her mother said. "Well, she's the mayor's daughter, of course, but didn't you go to school with her?"

"Worst years of my life," Marinette said, rolling her eyes. "Ugh. Anyways, she showed up to audition. Here's the thing: she's actually a _really_ talented actress, and Alya ended up casting her."

"Shouldn't that be considered a good thing?" her father asked, brow furrowed in confusion. "I mean, surely you want the best cast you can possibly get."

"True," Marinette agreed, "but it's not her acting skills that are the issue. The problem is when Chloe Bourgeois decides to simply be _herself_." She shook her head. "The girl hasn't changed at all, after so many years. She's still a spoiled brat - and, unfortunately, she's a _powerful_ spoiled brat. She knows it, too." She sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to use the fact that her family is funding the movie _against_ us somehow."

Her mother winced in sympathy. "That doesn't sound good." She gave her daughter's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But I'm sure you can handle it. There's only one of her, while you have an entire crew on your side."

"Even if you didn't have the whole crew on your side, you have _Alya_ ," her father chuckled. "That girl is like a force of nature."

Marinette giggled. "That's the most accurate term you could use to describe her."

"So what was the positive thing that happened?" her mother asked, brushing a strand of her dark hair out of her face.

Marinette clasped her hands together, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Okay, you already know how Gabriel Agreste is my _idol_ in the world of fashion, and how I'd probably die from happiness if I had a chance to meet him. Well…" She beamed at her parents. "His son, Adrien Agreste, auditioned yesterday. Alya decided to cast him, too, but that's not the point." She took a deep breath. "Adrien said that he might, _might_ , be able to get me an interview to work at _Gabriel_!"

Her parents both gasped before pulling her up out of her chair and into a hug, and Marinette couldn't stop herself from squealing as she hugged them back.

"That's so wonderful, sweetheart!" her mom gushed. "The entire world will be able to see your talent."

"That's _if_ I get an interview and _if_ I actually get the job," Marinette reminded them before giggling. "But isn't it absolutely insane to think about?"

"I have a question about this Adrien kid," her father said. "Is he cute?"

"Dad!" Marinette protested, the blood rushing to her cheeks. "That's none of your business."

"So he is," her father mused. "I see, I see."

"Dad, I've known him for less than a day," Marinette argued. "Stop overthinking things." Trying to change the subject, she gestured at the foods on display beneath the counter. "Should I buy Alya and I's breakfast now, or…?"

"Oh, do you have to leave already?" her mother said, disappointment painting her features. "I was hoping you could stay for a little while longer."

Marinette glanced at the clock on the wall. "I have to be at the studio for 9, and it's not even 8 o'clock yet, so I can probably stay for a little less than an hour," she decided. "I guess I'll wait to get food."

"Perfect!" her father said, nudging her back towards the chair. "Now you can tell us all about this Adrien fellow…"

Marinette groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Why did I even open my mouth?"

xXxXxXx

"One order of chausson aux pommes to go," her mother said, handing Marinette a small pink box with the words 'for the best director' scribbled on the side. "Tell Alya to enjoy them and that we said hi, okay?"

"And don't forget your pain au chocolat," her father added, placing a brown paper bag on top. "Can't have our daughter going hungry."

"Thanks Mom, Dad," Marinette said, giving each parent a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best. I promise I'll try to visit again soon!"

"And bring your money!" her father called after her as she left the bakery and walked to her car.

Marinette laughed. "I will!" she said before climbing in and placing the food on the passenger's seat beside her. She turned the key in the ignition and slowly pulled out of her parking spot. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw her parents waving at her. She returned the wave before driving off.

"I knew I shouldn't have convinced them to let me help them bake," she muttered to herself. Now there was a flour stain on the side of her pants that her apron hadn't managed to protect, _and_ she was running late. Not by much, but enough where she questioned if she'd get to the studio on time.

Apparently the universe was on her side, because Marinette ran into the studio carrying the food from the bakery at exactly 9 o'clock.

"I see you made it on time," Alya teased. "A miracle!"

Marinette rolled her eyes before tossing the small pink box at her friend. "Breakfast. You're welcome."

Alya yelped but managed to grab the box out of the air before she opened it. She gasped, her brown eyes wide. "Marinette, you are the most amazing person in the world."

Marinette laughed. "You'd say that to anyone who brings you food."

Alya shrugged, already eating one of the pastries. "I mean, you're right about that." She gestured for her friend to follow her. "Come on. I want to show you a set of storyboards Nath and I made."

Marinette nodded, nibbling on her own food as they walked. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Nothing like that," Alya reassured her. "I just want a second opinion on a fight sequence."

"You want my opinion on a _fight_ sequence?" Marinette said in disbelief. "What did my parents put in that chausson aux pomme?"

Alya rolled her eyes. "Come on, Marinette. You took martial arts for a while."

"Years ago," Marinette muttered, but didn't protest further. She followed Alya to the director's trailer, throwing the now empty paper bag in the small trash can inside.

"Alright," Alya began, grabbing four storyboards and laying them out on a table. "This is the sequence I had planned originally, but now I'm not so sure I like it anymore."

Marinette studied the images. "It's mostly back and forth fighting," she observed. "Isn't that kind of inaccurate?"

"Yes, but it helps us show the dynamic of each character's style more easily," Alya pointed out.

"Then I say just double it if you want to keep it back and forth," Marinette said, shrugging. "Maybe a two-three count if you want to go a little further. Two strikes from one, three strikes from the other, three from the first, two from the second, etc."

Alya grinned at her friend. "Yes! I like that. That's what we'll do." She grabbed a sticky note and wrote 'two-three' on it before placing it on top of the storyboards. "See, _this_ is why you're the most amazing person in the world."

"And the food," Marinette added, smirking as she left the trailer.

Alya shrugged. "True."

"Alya!"

The two turned around to see Juleka and Rose and walking quickly to catch up with them.

"Oh no," Alya said. "Did I forget to do something?"

"Kind of," Juleka said, her cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment. "Rose didn't want me to say anything, but -"

"It's not a big deal," Rose interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Juleka's overthinking it."

"Maybe, but -"

"No 'buts,'" Rose said. "It's fine. I told you it's okay."

"What's going on?" Alya said, confused. "I feel as if I missed a vital part of this conversation."

Rose sighed. "Juleka wants you to change the script so it says 'Daisy' instead of 'David.' But it really doesn't matter -"

"It _does_ matter," Juleka protested. "It's your character, and you earned the part, and the script should reflect that."

Rose's gaze softened. "Oh, Julie…" She moved her girlfriend's bangs out of her face. "I understand why you think it should be changed, and I think it's really sweet that you care so much. But Alya has a lot on her plate already."

Juleka looked as if she wanted to argue further, but sighed. "I understand."

Rose laced her fingers through her girlfriend's. "Thank you."

Marinette watched their interaction awkwardly, taking a bite of her pastry every now and then, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry, Juleka," Alya said softly, smiling. "I'll write a note on the top of each script telling everyone to change 'David' to 'Daisy' as they go through it."

Juleka nodded, her scarlet eyes lighting up with happiness. "Thank you."

"Now let's leave them alone," Rose giggled, pulling her girlfriend away. "You promised you were going to help me run my lines for at least an hour, remember?"

Marinette watched the two girls leave. "Would it be cliche if I said 'relationship goals?'" she asked as she took the last bite of her pain au chocolat. "I used to think it was impossible to love someone else with your entire being, but I think they care for each other even more than that."

Alya nodded in agreement. "Soulmates, girl. No other explanation."

"Like you and Nino," Marinette said thoughtfully, snickering when Alya glared at her. "Come on. You know I'm right."

"And for that you have to help me put sticky notes on all those scripts," Alya retorted.

"Well, I was going to offer to help anyway," Marinette smirked. "Show me where to go?"

Alya rolled her eyes but took Marinette to a table covered with scripts. "Grab a chair and get going."

It was silent as they fell into the process of grab a script, write a note, toss aside, repeat. Marinette couldn't believe how many there were, but reminded herself that not only did the actors get a copy of the script, but the crew did, too.

"So," Marinette said as she stood from her seat, having finished. She tucked her copy of the script under her arm. "When are people supposed to be picking these up?"

"Well, the crew can grab them whenever," Alya said, standing and pushing her chair back under the table, "but the cast is supposed to…" She trailed off, her eyes widening as she whipped her phone out of her back pocket. "Thanks for reminding me!"

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Reminding you of what, exactly?"

"I need to send out the email about whether people were cast or not," Alya said after a pause. "I kind of forgot to do it this morning…?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "This movie is making you sound like me."

Alya gasped in mock horror. "Whatever shall I do?" She shrugged, tapping her phone screen. "It's not that big of a deal. I just forgot to send them. I drafted everything last night."

Marinette nodded. "I see. I probably would have forgotten to do it entirely."

Alya snickered. "Sounds like you."

"Hey," Marinette said after a pause. "You're sending an email to Adrien, right?"

Alya sighed. "Was he cast or not, Marinette?" She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sending Adrien an email."

Marinette felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Good. That's good." She pulled her phone out of her purse. "Then there's a text I need to send."

Alya smirked at her. "Is that so? I expect some details later, girl."

"Yeah, yeah," Marinette laughed. "I know."

 _Recipient(s): Adrien Agreste_

 _Message: See you at the studio! ;) -Marinette_

"Perfect," she murmured happily, sending the text and tucking her phone away before returning her attention to Alya. "So about what time was it you said the cast should be arriving to pick up their scripts?"

xXxXxXx

"Turn for me, please."

Adrien sighed and slowly turned around to show the tailor how the suit looked from behind.

"Hm," Pierre muttered. "Something is off. Face me again and hold your arms out."

Adrien did as instructed, having learned that arguing was pointless and would earn him an 'accidental' pricking with a pin.

Pierre snapped his fingers. "Of course!" He adjusted a few pins on Adrien's side, removing one from each and sticking them into the pincushion he wore on his wrist. "Perfect. Now go change into this." He tossed a black blazer, black jeans, and an emerald green button-down at Adrien, who barely managed to catch them. "I have a feeling it will already fit you relatively well, seeing as it was made very close to your exact measurements."

Adrien had never understood why all the clothes his father wanted him to model were _not_ already made to his exact measurements, but he knew better than to bring up the subject. Some things were just not worth the infamous Gabriel Agreste's time.

He stepped into a dressing room and carefully changed out of the suit, doing his best to avoid both poking himself while also not knocking out any pins. As he slipped into the new clothes, he couldn't help but wonder if he had any new notifications on his phone. Pierre always made him put it away while he was having things fitted.

However, Adrien had made sure to turn the volume all the way up. If someone was trying to contact him, he'd know it right away. But he hadn't heard anything the entire two, three, however many hours he was there. Either he hadn't received any new notifications, or he hadn't actually adjusted the volume.

Yeah, he probably just wasn't getting any notifications.

Adrien carefully carried the suit out of the dressing room and laid it down on a table next to the seven outfits that had already been fitted. Lucky for him, that meant there was only three more to go. Unlucky for him, that also meant he'd get home ahead of schedule and be forced to sit and wait until the meeting. He didn't necessarily enjoy having clothes fitted, but it was better than doing nothing.

Sighing, he headed to the front part of the studio where Pierre was waiting.

"Oh, this looks magnificent," the tailor murmured, looking Adrien up and down. "Casual, yet classy. Gabriel has never failed to impress me." He rolled his eyes. "Then again, according to _my_ boss, I'm just a lowly tailor who isn't allowed an opinion because I supposedly 'don't know fashion.'" He snorted. "She's the one who doesn't know fashion, wearing a disgusting gray pantsuit every day like she does."

Adrien had no idea what the man was going on about, but that wasn't unusual.

"Alright, the blazer fits fine," Pierre continued. "Take it off so I can make sure the button-down does, too."

Adrien did as instructed, and Pierre circled him, looking him over. It used to unnerve him, being eyed like he was a toy or some sort of mannequin, but he quickly learned that it came with the job.

"No changes needed," Pierre announced. "God, I do love saying that. Means less work for me."

"But you still write down that you made changes to everything?" Adrien asked dubiously.

"A man has to make money somehow," Pierre responded, shrugging. "I think your father is able to spare just a little extra."

Adrien sighed. He wasn't wrong, technically speaking. "Yes, but -"

He was interrupted by the sounds of Jagged Stone's latest song blaring throughout the studio, which apparently had great acoustics.

Adrien laughed nervously as Pierre glared at him. "I'll just check that real quick." He ran over to the table at the back of the room, where his phone was still blasting music. He hastily turned the volume all the way down, then checked to see what notification had been the cause of the sound.

"Huh," he muttered. It was a text from an unknown number. He typed his password in before opening the entire message, which read: ' _See you at the studio! ;) -Marinette_.'

His eyes widened. _Marinette?!_ He almost dropped his phone as he hastily opened his email, praying her text meant what he thought it meant. Sure enough, it said he had one new message.

Fingers shaking, Adrien clicked on it.

 _Congratulations, Adrien! You've been cast in the role of Chat Noir/Adam by the Coccinelle Film Company. If you choose to accept, please report to our studio between 10am and 12pm to pick up your script and the filming schedule. Hope to see you there!_

 _Alya Césaire_

If Pierre hadn't been watching him and tapping his foot impatiently, Adrien probably would have done some sort of happy dance. He couldn't even stop himself from beaming as he stuck his phone in his pocket and started walking towards the door.

"And where exactly are you going?" Pierre demanded, hands on his hips.

"Some unexpected business that I have to attend to immediately," Adrien replied, pushing the door open. "I'll be back soon."

"At least change out of those clothes!" Pierre begged, but his plea went unheard. Adrien was already out the door.

He quickly hopped into the car waiting for him.

"Done already?" the driver asked.

"Not exactly," Adrien said, smiling. "Take me to Coccinelle Studio. There's something I need to pick up there. After that we'll return here and I'll finish up with Pierre."

The driver bit her lip. "I was instructed to have you back home by 11:30 -"

"I'm well aware," Adrien interrupted. "However, I am not a child who lacks the concept of time. Pierre was ahead of schedule with fitting, and it'll take maybe twenty minutes to go there and back. It won't even be 11 o'clock by the time we return."

The driver hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But only if you're in and out of that studio in less than five minutes."

Adrien nodded. "Understood." He stared out the window as the driver pulled away, unable to stop his foot from tapping anxiously during the drive there.

He was amazed he'd been cast. He knew he was good, but he didn't think he was good _enough_. But now he had a chance to prove to his father that acting was a career worth pursuing. And what made it even better was that he'd be working with people who felt the same way, from the cast to the crew.

Needless to say, he was excited.

A little voice in Adrien's head reminded him that Marinette was _also_ one of those people he'd get to work with, but he ignored it. He had more pressing matters on his hands - like the fact that the driver was pulling up to the studio at that very moment.

"In and out," she reminded him, but he was already gone.

xXxXxXx

"And that's perfect," Max said. "Thanks for your help, Marinette."

"No problem," Marinette replied. She laughed. "You actually taught me a lot about cameras."

Max shrugged. "Cinematography is an art, and that art includes the setting up and positioning of cameras." He glanced at his watch. "I'm expecting a phone call in a few. See you in a bit."

Marinette waved as he walked away before pulling her phone from her purse to check the time. "10:35, huh?" she mused. Since it was after ten, it meant Adrien could be dropping by at any time to pick up his script.

" _Or_ he might be arriving right before noon," Alya suggested, and Marinette realized she'd accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud. "You never know."

Marinette pouted. "Way to burst my bubble."

"That's my job," Alya said, ruffling her friend's hair. "Someone's gotta bring you to your senses." Then she winked at her. "But, if you want my honest opinion, I think Adrien will be here pretty soon. His dad probably doesn't like him being away too much."

"I don't even care that much about _when_ he'll get here," Marinette said. "I just want to _see_ him."

"Am I, uh, interrupting something?"

Marinette turned around and was suddenly face to face with Nathaniel.

He made a noise similar to a squeak and stepped back. "Sorry," he murmured. "Didn't realize I was so close."

"You're fine," Marinette reassured him. "Is there something you need?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with the set for a moment," he explained. "I just need you to hold the ladder for a minute or so. That way I can get to the top step without the fear of it collapsing beneath me."

"Of course!" Marinette replied.

"I'll be with Nino if you need me," Alya said, waving as she walked away.

Marinette nodded before following Nathaniel to the set of Maria-slash-Ladybug's room, which he'd spent weeks building - with the help of a crew, thankfully.

"It looks so amazing," Marinette said, still in awe of how detailed everything was, from the designs on the bedposts to the pattern of the carpet on the floor. "If I didn't know we were in a studio, I'd probably believe this was someone's dorm on a campus."

"Maybe a luxury dorm," Nathaniel corrected, a crooked smile on his face. "But thank you."

She followed him to the ladder in the corner of the room, where she held it steady so he could climb up.

"There's a section I haven't been able to paint," Nathaniel said as he carefully stood on the highest step. "I got distracted because auditions were suddenly the most important thing on the table, and I almost forgot about it."

"If you hadn't pointed it out, I doubt I'd have even noticed," Marinette said honestly.

Nathaniel shrugged. "That's true, but…" He offered her his crooked smile again, which was so endearing. "It would have annoyed me."

Marinette chuckled. "I understand. If I mess up a stitch on a costume, even if no one else can see it, I still have to go and fix it for my own peace of mind."

She watched as Nathaniel painted over the blank spot in the top corner of the wall, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated. Before she knew it, he was done.

"I'm climbing down now," he warned her. "I don't want to accidentally kick you in the face."

"In all honesty, it's probably only fair that you kick me in the face," Marinette said plainly as she moved out of the way. "I am the clumsiest person on the planet and have done more than my fair share of accidentally kicking people in the face."

Nathaniel smiled as he stepped down from the last step onto the ground beside her. "If you say so."

"Yo, anyone know where the scripts are?"

Marinette recognized Alix leaning through the doorway. "I know where they are," she said. "Why? Do you need a copy?"

"Not me," Alix replied. "Someone else."

"I can get one," Marinette offered. "Should I bring it to you?"

"Nah," Alix said. "Some blonde guy said he's gonna be waiting outside the door, if you don't mind bringing it to him. He says that he's 'in a rush.'"

Marinette didn't miss the stagehand's overly dramatic finger quotes. "Alright. Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you later, Nath!" Marinette said as she started to make her way towards the back table where scripts were still piled up, not staying long enough to hear his response. She grabbed the first script her fingers touched before running towards the exit-slash-entrance to the studio. Waiting outside was -

"Adrien?" she gasped. Realizing her reaction wasn't exactly a good conversation starter, she tried to correct herself. "Uh, I mean, hi?"

Adrien laughed. "I was hoping it was you that pink-haired girl was talking with."

Marinette blushed. "That was Alix. And if that's what you were hoping, then I guess you got lucky."

He smiled at her. "Very lucky." He gestured towards the script in her hand. "I take it that's for me?"

Marinette glanced down. "Oh! Right, right." She practically shoved it into his arms. "Yes, that's doors. Yours." She took a deep breath. "That's yours." She suddenly noticed the fancy clothing he was wearing. "Um, if you don't mind my asking… Why are you dressed like you're going to a 'casual wear' party?"

Adrien looked down at himself, as if he hadn't even noticed what he was wearing. He laughed. "I should have figured the fashion expert would have pointed that out." He scratched the back of his head. "I was kind of in the middle of a fitting when I got your text and Alya's email, and I also kind of dropped everything to come get the script and rehearsal schedule." He froze. "Is the rehearsal schedule -"

"It's stapled to the script," Marinette reassured him.

His shoulders relaxed. "Great."

"I guess you have to leave now?" Marinette said after a pause. "Alix said you were in a hurry and stuff."

Adrien nodded. "Yeah. I have to finish the fitting, then attend a meeting, and I also have a photoshoot this evening."

Marinette winced. "Ouch. How are you going to handle all of that plus filming a movie?"

He shrugged, but was smiling. "Who knows? I guess I'll just have to roll with the punches."

Marinette giggled. "Whatever you say. See you tomorrow?"

Adrien's smile widened. "Yep. See you tomorrow."

When she was certain he was out of sight, Marinette slumped against the studio wall, sighing happily to herself. This movie was going to be even better than she thought.

xXxXxXx

Adrien took a deep breath before gently knocking on the door leading into his father's study. "Father? There's something I'd like to talk to you about." He paused, listening for any noises inside. It wasn't unusual for someone to have to wait for up to thirty minutes before his father would even answer the door.

Surprisingly, however, Adrien heard locks clicking less than five minutes later.

"I trust this is important," his father said, stepping aside to allow his son to enter.

"It is," Adrien said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "It's about -"

His father held up a hand to silence him. "First, I'd like you to tell me your thoughts on the meeting you attended with me today."

Adrien resisted the urge to sigh. At least his father hadn't kicked him out yet. "I understand why they think you should broaden the company to encompass more than fashion and clothing, but I don't think it suits you and what the company stands for."

"I agree," his father said. "Why do you say that?"

Adrien shrugged. "I think there's better directions to go than ' _Gabriel and Blenders_ ,' you know?"

"Such as?"

Adrien struggled to articulate his thoughts. "Maybe you could broaden the definition of fashion. Right now it's primarily 'party' wear, so stretch it a bit further. Or try to make lines of clothing with eco-friendly or recycled fabrics. Appeal to more audiences without trying to market an entirely different product."

His father raised an eyebrow. "Interesting approach." There was a long pause before he continued. "I appreciate your thoughts on the matter, Adrien. I may even be inclined to use some of them. Now." He adjusted his glasses. "What was it you wished to speak with me about?"

"It's about the film being produced by the Coccinelle Film Company," Adrien said. "I'm very grateful you allowed me to audition." _Though I don't actually need your permission_ , he added silently. "I heard back from the director today, and I learned I've been cast as one of the lead roles." He handed his father a sheet of paper. "This is a copy of the filming schedule. I've already arranged transportation as I need it, and I trust you'll be able to rearrange any meetings or photoshoots where I may be needed in order to fit the schedule. Thank you."

He watched his father's jaw tighten, and braced himself for an argument. But what he did _not_ expect was for his father to relent.

"I see," his father murmured. "I will do that." He nodded at his son. "Congratulations on the part. I trust you will work hard, but do not forget about your duties as my son."

Adrien nodded. "I understand."

"Perhaps being in this film is a way of performing the duties as your mother's son," his father added, his voice distant.

Adrien froze, but nodded again. "I think… I think she'd support me in this."

His father chuckled, but his tone was tinged with bitterness. "Yes, I'm sure she would." He stared at his son, but Adrien knew he was seeing someone else. "Dismissed."

Adrien left without uttering another word, closing the study door quietly behind him. He sighed, but his chest felt lighter than when he'd gone in. If nothing else, he'd managed to get his father's approval, or at least his toleration.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, startling him. Curious, he pulled it out, only to see that it was a text from Marinette.

 _Marinette: Make sure to read over your script tonight!_

Adrien smiled before responding with a brief message of his own.

 _Adrien: I will. See you tomorrow._

He hadn't even tucked his phone away before it buzzed with a response.

 _Marinette: Cya! :)_

Adrien's smile widened. He had a feeling that this film was going to be much more fun than he had expected.

xXxXxXx

 **I know this chapter is shorter than chapter one, but rest assured that there are future chapters that will be plenty long. I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! See you next time! (Aka whenever I finish writing chapters 11-15. Oof.)**


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